JAMI DISTRICT

JAMI DISTRICT is a theater performance which tackles the notions of nation and national states in the high-tech world of the 21st century. Starting with the fact that nation is a construct and a term developed in the 19th century, this performance asks a question: how did the 19th century invention manage to look as if it has been there forever? Do we still need the “good” old nations, in the era of Internet, artificial intelligence and modern medicine? What will replace nations and national states? And who’s worse : nations or corporations? By the end of the 21st century, it is expected for most intellectual and physical work to be done by robots. Will robots have national consciousness? Will there be robo-patriots and robo-nationalists? Will the idea of nation end up in the junkyard of history, or those believing in it? Will we walk into the 22nd century wearing the 19th century shoes? And do those foot worn shoes cause blisters? They haven’t looked pretty for a long time. But are they comfortable?

KOKAN MLADENOVIĆ (1970) was born in Niš, Serbia. He finished High school for Actors in Niš, under the mentorship of Mima Vuković-Kurić. He graduated in Theatre and Radio Directing from the Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade in 1995, under the mentorship of Miroslav Belović and Nikola Jevtić. He was the artistic director at “Dadov” theatre, director and artistic director at the National Theatre in Sombor, the director of drama in the National Theatre in Belgrade and the manager of Atelje 212. He has successfully directed in theatres of Serbia, Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. His performances have been awarded at all the festivals of professional theatres in Serbia, and at many relevant international festivals in Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia. This year, besides the performance Jami District, he will also present the performance Clochemerle, his third cooperation with Belgrade Drama Theatre.